


Purely Platonic

by xDomino009x



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Drinking, Drunk Kissing, F/F, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10450950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xDomino009x/pseuds/xDomino009x
Summary: Sara isn't her type, and even if she was Lexi is taking a break from relationships. But that doesn't matter so much when alien drinks are involved. And when it's all platonic anyway, of course





	

**Author's Note:**

> First fic for Andromeda. Needed a break from playing non stop to sleep... sleep didn't happen so much :')
> 
> Lexi set the record for fasted rejection of my Ryder so here we go, cos Ryder's 'not her type'

Sara is late. She runs late quite often when Lexi is waiting for her, but the good doctor has come to expect it by now. That's why when she looks at the email on her omni tool she just sighs and shakes her head, a soft smile pulling the corners of her lips. Good thing she plans to set off fifteen minutes later than she would if she was actually aiming for the time they'd set. She's aiming instead for the time the illustrious pathfinder would be able to drag herself away from her adoring public.

She wonders for a moment if the human is busy flirting with that young journalist girl who's been emailing her every so often. Lexi doesn't remember her name. But she's cute at least.

When she decides she couldn't wait any longer in the med bay, Lexi gets to her feet, changes into a cleaner, more casual uniform, and makes her way off the Tempest.

The ship truly is a marvel of engineering, built specifically with the pathfinder in mind. It shows, Lexi thinks as she wanders through towards the lift in the cargo bay. The lift is by far easier than the ladders Sara seems to find a reasonable alternative. 

Lexi is not built for ship life.

By the time she gets to the bar, Vortex is filled with evening drinkers. She assumes it's the evening, the sun lamps seem dimmer than earlier when she'd made a supply run. 

She makes her way to an empty table, one of the few left, and people watches. In her mind she's profiling them, putting labels to their movements and expressions like dog tags. Peebee would hate being categorised like this. But it helps her think, and Lexi wants her mind clear tonight.

At least until the alcohol starts flowing.

She has half a mind to order before Sara gets here, but she doesn't want to risk losing the table. It's a good table, not too close to the speakers that are filling the bar with a thrumming bass that reminds her a little too much of Omega. It's louder than she remembers from her last visit, but that had been during the day.

Sara is fashionably late, even to the time they'd rescheduled to. Lexi laughs as she jogs through the door, looks around and then grins when she sees her. It's nice to see someone brighten up when they look at her. As much as it sometimes makes her feel a touch awkward, it's flattering.

“I'm glad you could make it,” she tells Sara, shaking her head when the human bows deeply before taking her seat opposite hers.

“You couldn't keep me away.” Lexi feels the heat in her cheeks but ignores it; it's never been that noticeable when she's blushing. Instead she turns to the bar and catches the eye of the asari bartender, who nods and smiles. She doesn't know what she wants to drink, but Sara seems happy to order for her. She accepts the offer.

When Sara goes to the bar she waits, continues people watching. It's less relaxing now Ryder is here.

A shot is put in front of her with a click of glass on metal. Sara smiles. “Hope you like it.”

Lexi regards it carefully, unsure what it is. All she knows is that it's probably one of those experimental drinks Sara has been helping the bar staff create, bringing back different exotic ingredients. “Are you sure it's safe?” she asks, worried by the venom green colour.

Across from her Sara shrugs. “I'm with the doctor, worth a risk.”

She winks and with that she gets the shot and throws it back, making a face as it hits the back of her throat. Lexi watches closely. For the moment Sara seems fine, she smiles and bangs her glass down on the table. Then she scowls, swallows hard and coughs.

Lexi watches, horrified, as Sara rubs her throat, choking and struggling to breathe. She doesn't know what to do, all her medical equipment is still on the Tempest in the med bay. She's really starting to panic, Sara slightly bent over, face going red, when the pathfinder straightens up and beams.

“Should’ve seen your face!” she says as she chuckles and nudges Lexi’s shot towards her.

The doctor is not amused. She has half a mind to do something to wipe that smug grin off Sara’s face. But that would be petty and childish, and it's easier to just drink her own shot and pretend it hadn't phased her in the slightest.

So that's what she does. It burns her throat as she swallows. She's much less enthusiastic about it than Sara was.

But it tastes good. Kind of like the honey and lemon mix that Harry had taught her to help with human patients sore throats without the use of medicines. It's bitter and sweet all at the same time, and she wouldn't mind another if it was an option.

It is. A second glass is placed in front of her, one in front of Sara too. 

“Perks of being pathfinder I guess,” Sara whispers as the asari bartender leaves their table with their first glasses. She promises Lexi that she hadn't ordered more than one, but neither neither of them want want to turn down the extra drinks. It's impolite to say no.

They use the same excuse for the next half dozen shots they share between them.

By the time they're finished with the shots and heading back to the Tempest Sara is staggering and Lexi is only just walking in a straight line. While their drinks didn't taste all that alcoholic they definitely are. And it seems to have a slow absorption rate, like most drinks made with these alien ingredients.

Vetra meets them at the foot of the cargo ramp. She takes one look at the two of them and shakes her head, mandibles flicking in a smirk. “Should take her to her room, get her some rest,” she tells Lexi. The asari nods, still giggling at a joke Sara had made five minutes ago. Sara doesn't even register there's anyone else there.

The walk through the ship to Sara’s quarters is more difficult than it should be. Three times Sara gets the command wrong for opening the cargo bay door to the med bay, crew quarters and her own quarters. They don't get through until Vetra, busy helping with the crates being loaded onto the ship, takes pity on them.

Once they're in Sara’s room the human goes straight to her bed and flops on it backwards. Lexi laughs and sits beside her. Sitting down helps with the spinning.

“See, wasn't this a great idea!” Sara declares to the room. Lexi laughs. It had been her idea.

The asari looks around the room. It occurs to her she's never been in here before. Any examinations she's done on Sara have been either in the med bay or they've been unofficial chats in the research room. She likes the collection of model ships up on one wall, but the room lacks something. She doesn't know what. Maybe it could use some fish? A nice tank in one corner would do.

“It was a good idea,” Lexi agrees, “I don't know why I turned you down for dinner, if it's anything like tonight…”

She trails off, laughing, as Sara sits up. “Would you say yes is I ask you again?” the pathfinder asks with a lopsided grin. Lexi shrugs instead of answering. Sara laughs and falls back against the mattress again. “Looks like you're not so uptight as Peebee thinks though.”

Lexi smiles and lays back with the pathfinder. “I suppose not. Neither are you Ryder.”

“You thought I was uptight?” Sara asks, looking slightly offended and spreading out on the bed as much as she can without draping her arm over the doctor.

Lexi chuckles, “Not really, but Peebee was still trying to work you out until recently.” When Sara opens her mouth to ask how she knows this, Lexi just grins. “Psychology degree.”

They lay there for a while longer, staring up at the ceiling and out at the artificial sky of the a Nexus. It reminds them both of the Citadel back home. But this is home now, and there's no going back to the Milky Way now. It doesn't upset them though, not right now. They have friendship, and too much alcohol pumping through their systems.

Lexi is just glad she's not a sad drunk. Or a lightweight.

Sara hums thoughtfully to herself. Lexi looks over, curious. She doesn't move when Sara shifts so she's laying on her front. The human has very green eyes, Lexi didn't notice before. Her pupils are still slightly dilated from the drinks.

“How's this for uptight?”

Sara kisses her, a little awkwardly with her hands trapped under her body. Lexi doesn't mind that it's awkward, just pushes her hair back from between their faces and kisses her back. She likes this, even if Sara isn't her type, even if she's taking a break from relationships. Drunken kisses from an attractive human don't feel like a bad thing.

It's a mistake though. She's a doctor and Ryder is her patient, her responsibility. Funny, it doesn't feel like much of a mistake.

“You're beautiful,” Ryder mutters between breaths and kisses.

Lexi laughs. “And you're drunk.” No twinge of guilt. She's been expecting it but she doesn't feel it.

“So are you.”

Accepting that without a word Lexi sighs, smiling up at the ceiling. It couldn't be so wrong, being here with Ryder, so long as it was a one time thing. And a one time thing it would be.

They stop talking and focus on other things, before the alcohol wears off and this all seems like a bad idea. When Sara falls asleep beside her, Lexi stays for a time, then leaves back to her own bed. 

She doesn't overstay her welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
